Howtoencourage

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

"For one swim meet, I was the comforter in lane five, which is on the far side, away from the parents. Jessie, my camper was getting tired. 'You're doing great, Jessie. You can make it. Keep going,' I yelled. I could tell she was about to cry as she looked at the long expanse in front of her. She went under for a second, not like she was drowning, but like she was going to give up and turn around. 'Look at me, you're so close! You can make it to me!' She shook her head at me, and she got scared and started to panic and swallowed a big gulp of water, so I jumped in and swam toward her. If she touched me, she would be disqualified, but if she just stayed next to me, knowing that I was there if she needed me, she could make it to the end...

I swam right next to her, without touching her, very slowly, and as we swam, I talked to her in a quiet voice. I said to her, over and over, 'You're tough, Jessie. You're tough and you can make it. I'm right here, but you can make it.' When we got to the end and she touched the wall, I pulled her out of the water, and she was so tired, floppy and teary, but the first thing she did was look up at her mom and wave.

After the meet, Jessie's mom came to find me as I was closing up the pool. She held my arm and looked right into my eyes. 'Until you have kids of your own, you will never know what this is like. As a mom, all I wanted to do was run down the bleachers and jump in with my clothes on to finish that race with my daughter, and I'm so glad you did.'

That's what friendship looks like to me. Friendship (and encouragement) is acting out God's love for people in tangible ways. We were made to represent the love of God in each other's lives, so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God's love for them...When we do the hard, intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more of the divine into daily life."

Wow, I want a friend like that! More than that though, I can be a friend to someone else who is struggling. This a beautiful picture of pure encouragement.

This story is from one of my favorite books, Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequest.

About Me

My world needs healing words, inspiring words, caring words--I want to know the right words to say.
Thus a lifetime of learning and how to encourage became my purpose and my story.
I found out:
I can impact a life in a positive way.
I can encourage people to persevere in difficult life situations. You can too!
We can make a difference in one another's lives.
My husband and I are still married, after 35 years of starting and owning several successful small businesses together. I have a degree in retail merchandising, am a human resource manager, advertising manager and janitor. I have been an employer and employee. I have been a counselee and counseled.
I love to volunteer in my church and community, encouraging women and children. I am a big fan of whoever said, 'volunteering is the rent you pay to live in community,' knowing that lifestyle comes from a giving and generous heart.
My greatest accomplishment is being mom to five of the most fabulous human beings in the world, my two daughters, son and sons-in-law are amazing; just ask me!